A Dark Conflict
by Ziodyne967
Summary: The world may have ended for these two countries, but the war they've waged against each other doesn't stop. For Will though, he can only fight on in the hopes that he'll help end this dark conflict once and for all.
1. Chapter 1

**Testing. One, two. I'm I doing this correctly? O-oh. Hey there, my name is Ziodyne967 and I'm pretty new here as an author. This will be my first fanfiction, so expect mistakes here and there.**

 **Have you noticed that there aren't that many good stories out there for Will and Isabella? Or the rest of their game? I thought to myself, 'If there aren't any, why not make one myself?'**

 **So here we are. Please drop me a review and let me know how I do.  
**

* * *

 _Our world is destroyed._

 _Fire rained from the sky,_

 _The land scorched and burned,_

 _The Earth shook and rumbled,_

 _Oceans raged._

 _Dust covered the earth, blotting out all traces of the sun._

 _It seems impossible that anything could survive._

 _But amid the destruction, there is hope._

* * *

"Please... let me find someone."

One young man stood upon the burnt remains of what was once a great city. His white face was covered in dirt and his brown hair was a mess. His military cadet uniform was dirtied and in tatters. William 'Will' gazed upon the ruins in despair. This was once his home. Now though...

"There's no one here. The whole world is dead." Will said dejectedly. The sky was covered in ash which left his surroundings colored in a brown hue. He didn't know how he survived, but he was glad that he did.

"HELLO!? Help me please!" he called out. His voice echoing in the distance, answering his desperate calls. For miles upon miles, Will could only see the devastation that was left in the wake of the meteors. The buildings were turned into wrecks and the flora had its roots upturned and its leaves blown away. Bodies littered the road ahead, none having so much as moved an inch since he got here. He could faintly see the shock from the impacts still present on all their faces.

It was only just yesterday that he walked these familiar roads. He even remembered going to these places. The movie theater with his friends, which was now all but rubble as the building collapsed on itself. The burger joint he'd go to every now and again was wrecked beyond recognition. Even the coffee shop that he frequented before enrolling at the military academy. That was where he and his friends would spend the end of their week together at.

The world Will knew was gone. Who knows who else survived the initial impact? Instead, he was forced to wander through a living nightmare.

Alone.

"Please... I don't want to be alone..."

* * *

He couldn't remember how he made it up here, but he was glad. Will looked around to find himself walking to the top story of a still-intact parking complex. Cars had been scattered and upturned around the place, having been blown since the initial impacts. "Well...?"

 _Now what? There's no one here, and all these cars are useless. I've been at this for hours. Or has it been days? I can't remember anymore._

His stomach grumbled in response. Wills shoulders slumped and he gave a sigh.

There had to be someone out here that survived. His friends and family might still be alive somewhere out there. He knew for a fact that they weren't at the academy when things went south. He was alone that day, which is why he had to remain strong. For as long as he can stand, he can still go on.

"Wait, whats that?" the cadet whispered to himself. A lone motor bike stood upright on the far side of the complex. His eyes widened as he forced himself to move forward.

"Could it be?" As Will got closer, the color of the bike became clearer.

Orange.

"The army!?" he exclaimed and knelt down next to the bike.

"But the engine's cold." A sigh escaped his lips, this one filled with exhaustion as he examined the rest of the bike. Leather seat and low handle bars. There were also two axes crossed with each other were sprayed onto the side of the frame.

"Huh? I don't think regulations would allow something like this on a vehicle." He shook himself out of his thoughts and looked to the side. A roofless side car was attached to the bike itself with a large gun perched atop.

Will could only stare in awe. He's only fired the standard military-issued handgun during training.

 _"Bet you can't beat my score! There's just no way!"_

 _"Yeah, well. We'll see about that." Will smiled, and both bumped fists._

"Still can't believe this is all happening." Will muttered to himself. It feels like an eternity since he found himself in this hellish land. Being buried in rubble and digging himself out was something he did not think he'd experience as a cadet. Daily training and beating his friend at the firing range was all he had to worry about. Now though, he had to worry about possibly dying.

Alone.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts once again, he found what he was looking for in the side car. A two way radio walkie talkie.

"Maybe whoever owns this bike is still nearby and they can take me to the rest of their unit."

A low rumbling in the ground caught his attention a second later. Immediately, he dropped the radio back and looked over the ledge. He couldn't see whatever was making these noises, but he recognized what they could be.

"That sound...!" to be exact, that was the sound of a Humvee. He heard several other noises as well. "I knew they were around."

Lo and behold, he spotted several figures on the streets below. They were dressed in their combat uniforms and carried their rifles with them. Several dozen bikes were driven alongside a couple of Humvees as they made their way down the street. "The radio! I can call them!"

"Help me! I'm on the top floor of this parking lot here!" Will yelled into the radio. "My name is Will! I'm a cadet at the Rubinelle military academy! Do you read?"

"Gwar har har!" a burly laugh answered his calls.

A small frown formed on Wills face. "What's so funny?"

"Look sharp, roaches! We got us a live one! You know the drill! I want his food and I want his weapons! Leave his corpse where it falls! Ain't no one going to complain."

He was confused then. Did he hear them correctly? Corpse? 'His' corpse? They were gonna kill him!? He can see the soldiers move down below. They were all converging on his position now.

"Huh?"

"There he is!" One of them shouted, before a hail of gunfire started to tear the concrete wall in front of him. Will fell and began to crawl away.

"Why are they doing this!?" His breathing began to uneven and panic was setting in on his body. "There's too many of them! I've got to get out of here!"

Will climbed back onto his feet and started to scramble away. He had to run! He had to run and find someplace to hide. Somewhere far away. But how?

"Wait!"

* * *

"Surround the building roaches!" The man jumped off his ride and landed in loud stomp. "He's got nowhere to run but through me."

The others backed away in fear of the large man. His hulking feature towered over even the tallest and strongest man in their group. Some would even say he could crush an AT shell going mid-flight with just one hand. One look at him would even make the most blood thirsty criminal in their unit wet their pants. The violent sneer and deathly gaze showed an animal- no... a Beast on the hunt.

The soldiers swarmed all around the building, readying their guns. The others on their bikes and in the Humvees did the same. They knew this was the only exit out, with the ramp leading to the next level right before them. The soldiers wouldn't have to wait long before that person would either come down that ramp and beg, or risk his neck jumping off the side the building. They always took the same choice however.

"Hey man, you hear that?" One of the soldiers asked another. A loud roar put them at attention. "That's definitely not ours."

"Wait! The Beast growled and held up his hand. "I know that sound." he hissed, just quiet enough for the others not to hear.

Around the corner came screeching a man on a motor bike. His face filled with fear when he caught sight of the men pointing their guns at him. He didn't stop however, when he turned the corner. The raiders losing eye-sight as the young man drove past towards the other corner.

"That basterd's got my bike!" The Beast muttered under his breath. He stomped up towards the ramp, intent on wringing the boy's neck.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing!

The moment he saw his bike being touched by some trash, the Beast decided not to kill the boy. Oh he was going to do something more worse than death.

He was gonna-he was gonna...

"Boss!"

"What now roach!?" The Beast turned in anger, just in time to see that very same boy sail across the air and land right behind his troops.

* * *

Will didn't bother stopping as the hard landing reverberated throughout his body. He hadn't actually planned on that jump, but the moment he saw his only exit cut off by the Hulk himself, he'd have to rethink his exit strategy.

Which came as a conveniently placed opening and a lump of dirt/rubble.

"Hah! I made it! I really made it past them all! I'm alive!"

He was driving past places he often visited, down the cracked roads of his city. He didn't have a real destination in mind, just a place far, far away from those crazy people.

Will chanced a peek behind him, only to notice that there was no one there.

With a sigh of relief he said, "Heh. I guess I lost them for good?"

*CRASH*

Will's head snapped back forward. In the distance a dust cloud formed in front of him. Rubble from a nearby building were scattered on the street.

 _'An explosion?!'_

An enormous figure emerged, the dust leaving trails around his form. His smile was wicked and his eyes went wide as he spotted his prey.

"You're gonna have to try a little harder than THAT!"

* * *

 **Aaaaand finished! You've no idea how hard it is to write these things. I actually had another fic just like this one on Optimus Prime, but I lost him.**

 **I had a really difficult time doing Will and Beast's interaction. I've seen a lot of bad guys mouthing off the main characters, but once your the one writing them, nothing comes to mind! Ahh well. I'll get better. (I hope)**

 **Has anyone thought it was weird that Will had a bike with him in the intro? Or that he wasn't alone at all? People who played the game would get what I mean.**

 **And how did the Beast come to power over his own unit? That got me thinking that the Rubinelle military would make a unit that consisted of only bad apples. Of course, that'll come with it's own treasure trove of ideas. I just hope that I can write good enough by then to at least cover some of them.**

 **Boy, now that I've proofread(tried) the entire thing, it's surprisingly short. My teacher says to read it out loud too, which helped immensely. I've already reread the entire thing and I'm still finding mistakes! I'm guessing there's still a lot more too...**

 **Anyways, my future vision for this fic would be that I finish it. Simple right?**

 **Right!? HAHAHAHAHAH... no it's not easy.**

 **Drama, romance, and a ton of action will be included. Comedy will be sprinkled in here and there. Really a lot of stuff to cover, though all this exp will help me level up my writing class.**

 **If you were wondering, I'm at Lvl. 1 by the way...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all, Zio back with a brand new chapter! I had some problems with this, but it all worked out in the end. Like seriously, if I had written this out, I'd have a bag full of crumpled paper. A scene change here and there. Select, cut, switch out the wording and flow and... yea.**

 **I wanted to say some huge thanks to Trainalf and KaiserCube for their reviews. I could've sworn I would turn 80 years old before my first review!**

 **Hopefully I didn't miss any mistakes here. I read it out loud and proofread it a bunch of times too. Reading it out loud really helps if you are writing a story, or at least, that's what my college English teacher taught us.**

 **Anyways, please drop me a review and let me know how I do.**

* * *

Far from the combat zone, a man sat within the confines of a large tank. His hair was close cropped and he wore the standard Rubinelle military fatigues. A white wolf was patched on to the side of his uniforms arm. While he ran a gloved hand across the small hints of beard he had, he spoke in a deep voice.

"Give me tactical, Lin."

"Captain Brenner, I've got a single soldier being pursued by a pack of raiders." A woman's voice answered back. "The soldier appears to be one of ours. Shall we intervene?"

Brenner glanced over his crew. They were all already worn out from the constant fighting even before the meteors struck. His driver's hands couldn't stop shaking as he worked the controls. His eyes wide open and unblinking while he kept a lookout for potential dangers. His loader looked like he'd seen a ghost as his skin was near white. He kept looking to the empty seat next to him and hadn't stopped muttering to himself. Even Brenner himself was exhausted, though he hid it well among his crew.

World destruction or no, he still remembered his duty to the people, to his own.

No man left behind.

And so with a practiced conviction, he said, "Do it."

* * *

"I hope you didn't put any scratches on her, punk! I'll make you pay for stealing from the Beast!" he roared, following his prey on his own bike.

And like any other predator on the hunt, he was slowly inching closer.

The Beast had already caught up to him. How? Will was sure that the distance he covered would've been enough to escape the terrifying man. How did he know exactly where he was? And that by blowing through an entire building, with a rocket launcher no less, he would be right in front of him?! It didn't take long for the rest of his crew to show up behind him either.

And at the speed that Will was at, he had only one option.

And that was to drive straight through them.

But just as Will drove past them, he and the Beast met eye to eye. He could clearly see the bloodlust on the Beast's savage face as he drove past him. Heck he could see the bloodlust on all of them, but the Beast exuded the worst. And Will was all the more terrified as that bloodlust was pointed towards himself.

Will shook his head violently, bringing himself back to his current predicament. If it weren't for the adrenaline flowing throughout his veins, he'd surely have fallen by now.

"What do you want from me?!" Will cried out, tears stinging the edges of his eyes. Why do they want him? He didn't have anything of value. No food, no water, and he definitely had no weapons either. He would happily give them his pea shooter if it wasn't buried underneath 42 yards of rubble.

They were racing down the city's commercial district, so at least he had a lot of straight road to work with. He just had to dodge the car wrecks and the occasional toppled building along the way and he'd be safe. Which, would be easy if he weren't being chased by a pack of animals.

"Slow down kid! I'll make this easier for you!" A man behind him yelled.

 _'With a bullet to the back of my brain. No thanks!'_

"Aarrgghhh!" He ducked sharply to the right, only having a wooden bat miss by the hair on his head. Whatever little space he had left between the Beast and his crew was gone as another man was right next to him.

"What part of this is supposed make this easy for me?!"

"We kill you. In the worst possible way imagined!"

"That's not easy at all!"

"I guess choking you with your own entrails is a lot of work. Here, how about this 4 foot long baseball bat to the back of the head!?" The man yelled, taking a swipe at the cadet, forcing him to dart to the left. "Oh, c'mon kid!

Has everyone in this world gone mad? Is he the only sane one left on this planet?

He was beset on all sides. There was nowhere left to go, but forward. If he could only gain some more speed and put some distance between them then-.

 _'Then what? I'm gonna die! There's just no way out of this!'_

The cadet screamed frantically as he dodged right again from another strike, this time from a metal bar. "Please stop!"

"And ruin the fun? Don't be such a wuss!" Will's eyes widened as he spotted the Beast, his hand raised, poised to strike at the poor cadet.

And in that span of seconds did Will feel the force of a truck crash against the back of his body. Will grit his teeth from the searing pain. His bike swerved to the sides as he nearly crashed, thankfully regaining control in the nick of time.

But in that small instance, he had instinctively wrapped his fingers on the breaks.

"Oh no." Will muttered. Sure he would've been ejected from his seat if he crashed into this car in front of him, but by now the raiders had already whizzed past him. Their tires screeching to a halt and creating a wall right in front of him.

"Oh no..." He whipped his head behind him, spotting several raiders from the Humvees who were forming a circle around him. Those who were on bikes were already walking towards him with their weapons in tow.

He was trapped.

Will jumped off and sprinted towards the nearest building, crashing against the wooden frame. When it didn't move, he rammed the door with his shoulder. When that didn't work, he backed off and gave the door a solid kick. And then another. And another. He did everything in his power to break it down but, to his horror, it didn't budge.

If he wasn't dehydrated, he was sure he'd be sweating buckets right now. In his desperate desire to run he didn't even realize that there was no sound behind him. That is when he froze. Fear gripped his entire frame while he slowly turned his head.

He was surrounded.

"Heh... you done yet punk? I've got something special just for a _thief_ like you because..." He slammed his fists together. " Because it's blood-and-guts time! _"_

* * *

"Uhh... sir, you hear that?" the driver asked. A crackle and spur could be heard within the tank's confines, a sound familiar to the crew. A sound that would spell bad news to tank commanders everywhere.

"I do, corporal. Keep driving, she can make it." Brenner's eyes had been closed and his arms crossed, listening to the wurr of the tank's engine. He hoped his tank would make it. She's been through a lot and she is in dire need of some proper maintenance, but they had a job to do now.

"We're almost at the designated position, sir."

"Good." Brenner brought his hand up to his headphones. "Lin, report. What's the status of the cadet?"

"He's still on the move, but things aren't looking too good, sir."

"Keep surveillance. We'll be in position shortly." Brenner stilled when an especially loud clank reverberated throughout the tank. Despite the ominous sounds though, the tank kept going. "Keep faith crew. She hasn't failed us yet."

The cadet and the raiders were still a ways off, but they were driving directly in their direction. If he could just make it around these buildings, then he should have a clear line of sight to give covering fire to the boy. If they see a tank, then the raiders would surely be in disarray.

Just a little more...

Suddenly, the engine gave a loud shriek and the tank stopped.

"Engine's out! We can't move!" Yelled the corporal.

The Captain could only sigh, "Break out the repair kit. You know what to do." At this position, he was useless. With the building to his right, he wouldn't be able to help at all. The others were still a ways off from their position too.

Whilst his crew jumped out to fix the engine problems, he brought his hand back to his headphones. "Lin, we have a problem."

* * *

Far from the combat zone, a slender woman sat atop a ruined building. She had long, flowing black hair and wore military fatigues like her captain. Unlike her Captain however, her military jacket was sleeveless and longer. It was only buttoned at the top, which showed her waist.

Through her binoculars, she could clearly see the chase between predator and pray below her.

"Wow, how is this guy still alive?" a soldier asked. He lied prone on the ground with a steady hand on his sniper rifle.

She knew the reason why.

Her binoculars settled upon a certain animal-like face. She has heard of a company that the Rubinelle employed. A company that only consisted of troublemakers, murderers, and the lowest of the low. These men would be sent out as cannon fodder for the enemy while other, more reliable forces, would move in and clean up. While they were originally supposed to be used as cannon fodder however, they ended up completing objectives meant for other forces in record time. Often finishing their foes in a deadly fashion. And who other person would lead such a group than the Beast himself.

They'll be doing the world a favor by taking him down. She believed in her Captain's ability to take care of a couple of criminals, even if they were a bit outnumbered at the moment. They have a tank after all. With backup converging on their position, their ambush should go without a hitch.

Suddenly, the cadet took a blow to his back. In his effort to stay in control, he had slowed his bike down. This gave the raiders time to block off all avenues of escape. Lin frowned slightly. This would be a problem.

Before she could radio in this, her Captain's voice came through.

"Lin, we have a problem."

"The cadet is trapped, Captain."

She heard a small grunt, "What? What's his status?"

"The raiders have him now, Captain." She could see him clearly. He was being dragged away, the boy struggling the best he can.

"Alright, we have another problem."

"Sir?" She took her eyes off the scene below her.

"Just be ready to provide covering fire."

"Sir, what are you-?"

"Uh, Lieutenant?" Lin glanced to her side as the sniper spoke up, "I still have a clear line of sight. Permission to open fire, ma'am."

"Denied." Lin answered curtly. "Ammo count?"

"Uhh..." A good 5 seconds passed between them. "10 bullets left, ma'am."

"Enemies?"

"I've got about... 40 contacts and counting" His voice had grown quiet with each answer, but he spoke up again a moment later. "And in a hostage situation, any sudden movements might prove harmful to innocents, ma'am."

"So we must wait, for now."

A couple of seconds later, the sniper had spoken up again, "What? Uhh... Lieutenant Lin? I think you should see this..."

Bringing her binoculars back up, she viewed over the scene unfolding beneath her.

The cadet had been tied to a pole and, unluckily enough, had several of the Beast's henchmen surround him. Those few weren't armed, but they raised their hands against the cadet nonetheless. While the Beast had left the boy in the care of his men, he had stepped back to inspect one of the bikes. This prompted the irate beast to show that wicked grin of his and turn back towards his prey.

The gunners on the Humvees had left the mounted guns in order to gather around the cadet. Some of the bikers had opted to just sit back watch. In the back of her mind she noted several of those with guns and those without. The one with the rocket launcher wouldn't even be a problem. Not all of them were armed with firearms thankfully.

That's when she spotted a familiar face walking down the road and towards the group. At that moment, a headache had begun to form in the back of her head.

One of the the raiders had taken notice to the intruder and raised his gun.

The Lieutenant could only sigh, "I'm taking over. Move aside Sargent." With a little bit of force, the Lieutenant pushed aside the soldier and quickly took up the sniper rifle's scope and trigger.

World destruction or no, she still remembered to be patient in the face of adversity, even with the odds stacked against them.

Always strive for success, no matter the situation.

And so with practiced precision, she took aim at her first target.

 ***Bang!***

* * *

The raiders stilled and looked behind them, just in time to see a body slump towards the ground. The barrel of his broken butterfly still raised due to the recoil, while smoke from it's barrel drifted towards the sky. Several guns turned to aim at the newcomer, but they didn't immediately fire.

"What's the big idea, dogface? This got nothin' to do with you!" The Beast dropped the cadet. His body sinking back down the pole with a small groan.

Brenner lowered his gun, "It's got everything to do with me. I'm a soldier. It's my duty." He pointed at them all with his other hand. "You remember what duty is, don't you? I think you used to be soldiers."

The Beast gave out a deep roar of laughter, "Duty? Gwar har har! Don't make me laugh! This world's dead, soldier boy, and so is your precious duty!" His arms went wide, "We stopped being soldiers when the meteors hit. We're survivors! This is our time, and there. Is. No. Law! We rob! We kill! We're kings!"

The entire group roared and cheered, some of them shooting rounds into the sky.

"Not anymore." The Captain spoke up.

The Beast stilled for a second, before casting a dark glare at the Captain. With a hand sign, he silenced the other raiders and bade them to surround the soldier. "And who's gonna stop us? You?"

"That's right. Your days of preying on survivors are over and I'm gonna put you down like the rabid dogs you are. You may have forgotten your duty, but I have not."

Silence gripped the air as both Captain and Beast glared at one another. After what seemed like an eternity, the Beast burst into laughter.

"Gwar har har! You and one army, loser! Dog face can't even tell when he's outnumbered!" Brenner could only glare as a three armed men approached him with their assortment of pipes and bats. "I'm gonna have fun with you, dogface. You and this punk kid can share a grave! Get him roaches!"

A loud boom stopped them midway. Instead of rushing forward, their insides exploded in a spray of blood as they were pushed to the side like rag-dolls. A pool of dark red liquid was quickly forming around their bodies. All of the raiders stared in awe at their fallen comrades as a certain realization dawned on them.

They had stepped into every infantryman's nightmare.

"Sniper!" A man yelled, as he fired furiously off into the distance. Only to be taken down seconds later. The Beast and his men ran in different directions. A couple more fell as they ran, blood spraying every which way, but most were able to hide behind cover. Others began shouting at each other. Trying to figure out where the sniper might be. Some didn't even realize that they could still be seen by this unknown assailant.

In all the confusion, Brenner had already bolted past the raiders and towards the cadet. With a quick swipe of his knife, the Captain had the cadet's arm over his shoulder and was making for a quick exit away from the raiders.

The young man gave a small groan, "Who are you guys?"

"Skip the introductions, kid. I need to get you out of here."

"AAAARGH!" The Beast roared. "I'm still gonna kill you!" With a flick of his hand the Beast had thrown a grenade towards the two. Instead of landing however, it exploded in midair. The shrapnel from the grenade raining back down harmlessly on the raiders.

The Beast noted the flash in the distance though, and with a mad grin he leaned back out with a rocket launcher. "I've got you in my sight, worm!" And in a loud gush of wind, the rocket flew through the air, directly towards the sniper. Not a second too soon though, did the missile explode mid-flight.

The Beast shouted out random curse words when the the shooting did not stop.

"Sir," A raider crawled up next to him. Panic clear on his face. "This isn't looking too good. We gotta get out of here!"

"Tank!" Another raider yelled, before a high explosive shell completely destroyed a nearby humvee. Bodies flying in random directions from the explosion. In the distance, a large tank had rolled around the corner. It's barrel already aiming at it's next victim.

Screams and yells could be heard, but the Captain paid them no mind as he continued his retreat.

"GYAAAA! Stinkin' soldiers! Head for the hills, roaches! We're out manned and outgunned!" Several of the raiders had already ran. Others scrambled to get out of the tank's sight. He didn't know who had managed to get away, but he sure knew who didn't.

When the dust settled and the last of the raiders were either dead or gone, silence once again enveloped the ruins.

* * *

Despite all the beatings he received, Will had managed to stay awake through most of it.

"That will teach them not to prey on survivors." The man carrying him spoke up, "Not while the the Twelfth Battalion's out and definitely not under my watch."

Once he was absolutely sure that there were no raiders, the Captain laid the cadet down on the side of a destroyed coffee shop. He was still dizzy and his head was pounding. Exhaustion started to settle in on his body once again and he could faintly feel something cold go down the side of his face.

He tilted his head slightly to the side, spotting the men littered throughout the ground.

"Oh man... this isn't like training at all." Will muttered, eyeing the bodies. "This... this is the real thing."

He could see several figures appear in front of him. An APC unloaded half a dozen soldiers in the distance. The large tank didn't move from it's spot, but now that he has a good chance to look at it, it seemed awfully familiar. He couldn't quite put his finger on it though.

"Hey," The Captain said, "Stay with me son. Help is here. You're safe now."

The man's words were comforting. He clung to them, like he was in some far off dream. He had been saved. Will didn't feel any fear now as he stared back at the man. Instead, the fear was replaced by something he hadn't felt in a long time.

 _Hope._

"Your a cadet, huh? Thought I recognized that jacket and-hey. Hey!"

He tried his damnedest to keep his eyes open, but darkness had already began to creep at the edges of his vision. He tried to say something, but the words wouldn't form. He was tired, surely the man knew that? He heard more words come from the man, but he couldn't discern any of them.

 _'So tired'_

And with the last of his strength spent, he finally laid his eyes closed.

* * *

 **Uhh... I know your supposed to put your main characters through some sort of pain to overcome, but I think I kind of over did it. C'mon Will! Your supposed to be in the next chapter too! You are not supposed to die in the prologue chapter!**

 **Will? Will!? WIIILLLLL!**

 **God help any of the OCs I'll include in this story, because if there are(and trust me, there are(I think)) they will be thrown around like rag dolls. What? Isn't that what your supposed to do? No? I-I guess I can hold myself back a bit...**

 **On a more serious note, there are a lot of those line breaks in this chapter. One was supposed to introduce Captain Brenner and the other one was for Lieutenant Lin. Then I would stick with the Captain's POV for the rest of the chapter. Here it's kind of a mess as I ended up with... uhh... yea...** **(disregards potential dead protagonist)**

 **I actually finished this in two days, but then I wanted to know more about tanks and army compositions. So I played World of Tanks! And I gotta say, having engine problems in the middle of an open field with artillery coming down on you sucks!**

 **Good thing I'm behind this bush...**

 **I'm trying to figure out which tank I want to use though. The tank that the Captain is using right now. It has to be something like the actual game, but I don't own anything close to that. I only own tier V tanks. Or I could make something up entirely? Or look at the other games I have, like Call of Duty? I don't know, but it's a good thing I left it as the 'Big Tank'. I should really change that because it's irresponsible, I know, it'll change.**

 **I remember another lesson from my college teacher. Once I had this all written out, I let it sit with me for a couple of days. Over the course of those days, scenes had changed, wording had moved around, and this was the result of all that work. Good thing to know, right?**

 **I won't go into specifics, just know that you might've had a half dead protagonist if I didn't change some things.**

 **So, how did I do? Please leave a review! Will needs them for medical purposes!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Heya guys! o/**

 **I'm back with a brand new chapter! I have to say, I've been daydreaming a LOT about later chapters and how I might go about doing them. You know, instead of working on the now... o.o**

 **And I really need to write down these ideas ! :(**

 **But yea, I've been having problems with this chapter and... I'm sounding like a broken record now, huh? Oh... I can see that becoming a thing now.**

 **There's something else too. I keep on forgetting to say this!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Advance Wars nor any of the characters of said game.**

 **With that said, here we go!**

* * *

Dark Conflict Chp. 3

Will awoke abruptly and shot out of bed. Which, he came to regret seconds later as his head began to spin. His throat was as dry as a desert and he swore his own stomach was eating itself out due to hunger.

 _'Ohh... Where am I?'_

His eyes had to strain to adjust to the lack of lighting his small, immaculate, room had. There were furniture scattered around, a map was on a wall, a poster next to it advertised a healthy lifestyle. There was also a vase full of flowers on the table next to him. Was it natural? He didn't know.

Though there were windows, whatever light he'd expected only came as a dim glow.

 _'Evening already?'_ He shook his head as the events from before came rushing back to him. The ruins, the bodies, _that_ man. All these memories came crashing into his reality. _'No...'_

The young cadet struggled to his feet, forcing his body to move towards the glow. His hand came to rest upon the wall next to him while he fought to maintain his balance.

Ever so painfully slow, did the cadet make his way towards the light.

Finally, his hand came to rest upon the cold feeling of the windowsill. With a small push, the glass creaked away, showing the world and all it's glory beneath him.

What he hadn't expected to see was people. People going to and fro, talking, waving at each other. They were all walking up and down the sidewalks. Cars, trucks, and vans were being driven. The sound of the engines drowning out each person's voices in what would seem like your average evening downtown.

Just average people, living average lives.

Was this just an average day though?

Was that all a bad nightmare?

"You think this is a nightmare?" A familiar voice came from behind him. Will snapped his head around to look at his visitor. Standing by the doorway was none other than the Beast. "Well you thought correctly!"

"What? What are you doing here?!"

"To take care of some unfinished business. The Beast don't leave no loose ends." The Beast took a step forward, brandishing a knife out of nowhere. Will instinctively took a step back, eyeing the large piece of metal in fear.

But this time he had a plan. He was on the second story of the building and there were some thick bushes down below. If he could jump through the window then he could safely land below and escape. "Go ahead punk, the Beast loves a good chase."

Needing no other encouragement, he lifted himself on the window, but stopped there.

"C'mon kid! I'll catch you!" A man was standing below him with his arms wide open.

"W-what?" It was the same man from before. The same one who tried to splatter his brains out with a wooden bat! Next to him were the rest of the raiders who had chased him before. They all made up a small ocean of crazed smiles and evil intent.

"Really, punk? You're not even gonna run? Way to ruin the fun." The Beast spat. Will whirled back around, only to see the Beast was only a couple feet away from him. His knife was pointed towards him. "Ah well, the Beast will just have to make due. Now which part of the body should I cut up first? Heh, who am I kidding,? I always go for the neck! Gwar har har har! GYAAAAAAR!"

Will's breathing hitched while the monster grew closer. The maniacal laughter drowning out all his thoughts and willpower. He tried to force his body to move, to fight, to do something! Anything!

"No. NO! This isn't real! Your not real!"

"Stop struggling!" Hands had come to wrap around him, trying to force down. His own hands were already trying to force them off.

But he was too weak.

"Will!"

I don't want to die!

"Will!?"

Huh?

Something was wrong.

The scene before him changed. He felt his back press against the bed he was just on. Was he dragged back to the bed to use it as some sort of cutting board?

"Dammit Will!" the voice screamed.

Wait. The feelings of his hands wasn't as big as he expected. Or soft? When did his voice change too? What?

Will gasped for breath as he finally woke up. His eyes straining to focus on where he was and who had him. His eyes locked onto the person in front of him, his hands still gripped around hers.

Her?

Light blue eyes stared back through brunette colored hair. Although her face was rather small rounded, it showed a big concern for the person in front of her.

"A-Aaliyah?" he croaked out.

"Yeah, yeah it's me. It looks like you were having one hell of a nightmare." While her voice was laced with exhaustion, he could still hear the faint sense of worry. "Think you can let go, now?"

His grip immediately loosened after he realized he had a death hold on her hands. This turned out to be a bit of a mistake as he felt his body fall back towards the surface of his bed. The pounding in his head had returned in full force. "Oof! Oh..."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I think I am now." He groaned. Will noticed that his voice came out dry and hoarse. His stomach grumbled and he was reminded of the fact that he was also starving. "I'm just a little hungry..."

"Well it's a good thing I brought food. It's just bread right now though, but hey, I even got water too."

He wouldn't complain now. Not while his mouth somehow started to water at the sight of food. What he saw was a slice of heaven for all he was concerned. Aaliyah had helped him back up before she handed him the food. She didn't look all that concerned as she watched her friend stuff his face full. Not even when he started to choke a bit.

"Water, Will. I hear it prevents choking." Aaliyah said, a small smile forming on her lips.

He didn't seem bothered by the slight jab. In fact, he was rather grateful. Jab or no, he was happy to see a familiar face.

But when he spotted the same jacket on her, he was reminded of those he left back at the academy. Those familiar faces from the different classes, the teachers whom he trained under. The empty faces they had while most of their bodies were covered with rubble from the ceiling.

 _'No! Don't think about it! That...that didn't...!'_

Aaliyah noted the painful expression on his face and spoke up again, pulling Will from his thoughts. "What, Will? You don't even seem the least bit happy to see your best friend?"

This seemed to have gotten Will going again as he looked back up in confusion. "What?"

"I guess you really didn't miss me...?" she muttered with a frown.

Wha-? No, that's not right at all!

"After all the help I gave you? I even nursed all your wounds, see?" Gesturing to the various bandages around Will's head and face. "So much work and not even a 'thank you'?"

Will fumbled with his words, trying to find something to say. His mind only coming up blank after a few moments.

"Aaliyah... I...-?"

Wait a moment. Is that a smile?

"Gotcha."

A good 10 seconds passed before he realized that Aaliyah was only faking things. He was duped? The young cadet could only stare back in shock as his friend had already pulled a doozy on him not five minutes into their reunion.

But instead of a frown, he smiled. That smile turned into small laugh. Then that laugh turned full blown and they both laughed until their eyes started to water.

"Oh, I forgot how much of a bully you can be."

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. You know me."

And he did. He knew, deep down, about this routine. He knew it all too well now that he thought about it.

"It really is good to see you again, Aaliyah."

She stilled for a second, before her eyes met Will's. "Yeah, I know. It's good to see you too, Will"

They both shared a smile between each other. Both were content to just bask in each other's presence.

They were silent for only a while, but Will spoke up again soon after. "So you took care of me?"

"Yup!" She smiled. "Good thing the academy trains only the best. Good thing too, that I always have a practice dummy to work on! Heh, how are you feeling now?"

Moments passed as the two young cadets caught up with each other. They spoke of a lot of different things while Will regained his strength. They spoke of Will's time at the academy. How he was when everyone else was away while he was left behind at the academy. Aaliyah made a joke about that, with Will happily laughing along. They spoke of Aaliyah's little vacation away from the academy. It was during her trip back when things went south.

He noted the fact that she didn't go into specifics. Instead, he quickly changed the subject. "Hey, where are we anyways?"

"Your in downtown's hospital. The battalion is using this as a sort of headquarters."

"The battalion?"

"The Twelfth Battalion. Captain Brenner saved you, remember?"

"I... I think I remember. I-"

"Stop."

"Huh?" He looked back up.

"You don't have to go any further than that, Will. Instead, do you think you can stand? I've been with the soldiers for a while, and they don't like to stay in one place for long."

Will nodded. He didn't want to stay in bed for long anyways. He gripped the edge of his bed before pulling himself up. Even with Aaliyah's assistance, he still felt the shadows creeping up on his vision. He shook them away, blinking rapidly all the while. A moment later, the darkness slowly crept away.

That was one problem down.

"Well?"

His entire body was sore to the core. He feels as if his blood was replaced with heavy lead. And there was also this kink in his neck too, but she didn't need to know any of that. This wouldn't be the first time he'd have to walk off these kinds of sores.

Instead he turned back towards her and posed. "I'm alive!"

Aaliyah shook her head a bit with a smile. "The Captain would like to hear this, c'mon." She walked past the door.

Will moved forward to follow his friend, but froze in place instead. Whipping his head around, he expected something.

But everything in the room looked completely normal. The furniture was still standing, the vase of flowers next to his bed was still upright, that poster for health was still up, and the map of the world was still firmly on the wall. Much to Will's confusion, the room looked like normal.

His eyes settled upon the windows. A dim light still trickled though the windows and a thought started to eat at his insides.

 _Is this really...?_

... _  
_

...

...

"Will!"

"Huh? Oh, coming!"

* * *

Keeping up with Aaliyah's brisk pace was proving to be a bit harder than he expected. He was struggling to just keep her within eyesight.

People walked past him as he made his way down the clean hallways of the building. Some were soldiers, while others were just civilians.

What he realized a moment later was that most were civilians. He could count on one hand the amount of soldiers that passed him and he could see the various bandages that covered their bodies as he passed. Arms covered, head covered, torsos fully covered. Compared to his measly head wounds, their wounds were something else entirely. He couldn't begin to imagine what they have been through.

"Move aside!" Somebody screamed. Two men were carrying a man on a stretcher. He only had a glimpse, but he could see he was about the same age as himself. Will moved to the wall quickly and watched as they entered a far off room. He couldn't see what was wrong with the man, but he's sure that he doesn't want to know.

His head turned back towards his friend, just in time to see her turn the corner. "Hey slow down!"

He really can't catch a break, can he? Ah, he can take the teasing he'll surely receive from her later.

"Huh?" A look around and he noticed that he was actually at the entrance. The glass doors to the building were right beside him too. All he could see from there was just a bit of the parking lot though.

That same thought from before came creeping up at the edge of his mind as he stared outside.

 _'Is this really?'_

In fact, he was so caught up in staring that he didn't even realize that he had already gone through the door. He took easy steps down the stairs with his hands on the metal railings.

He felt the atmosphere change almost immediately. Even if he were to plant his eyes on the ground, he would still be able to taste the heavy atmosphere around him. How the world around him was covered in a veil of dirt and ash, the light above struggling ever so valiantly to shine through.

But nothing came.

Even when he saw the ruined buildings in the distance, he had a hard time accepting this new reality. Some part of him still firmly believed that this was still just a dream. Another part of him doesn't want to think on it too much before his head takes another dip.

Honestly, he didn't know what to feel at the moment.

"The world really has changed, hasn't it?" He muttered out loud. The happy mood he had long since evaporated while he looked up towards the sky "This ash is everywhere. Man, I've never seen so much gray in my life."

"Ashes to ashes..." Will spun around to the new voice. He instantly recognized him to be the man who had saved him from before. The woman behind him must be his subordinate. Will's eyes widened slightly in recognition. He knows them from somewhere.

"Captain Brenner? And Lieutenant Lin?"

"You know of us?"

"Yeah, our class learned about the battles you took part in. You lead the 12th Battalion, also known as Brenner's Wolves. Rubinelle's very own legendary fighting force." He gave a salute as he met both of the soldiers. "My name is William. I'm a cadet, a part of class G of the Rubinelle Military Academy, sir."

He took in everything they taught during the special lessons he took part in. Really, it was the exploits of the Captain and his battalion that gave him the motivation to join the military.

Though, he really couldn't find that same determination now.

"It seems your reputation proceeds you, sir." The lieutenant nodded once.

The Captain gave a short hum, "I'm glad you've recovered enough to be up and about, but..." His voice trailed off. He must be referring to the bandages on his head.

"Oh, this?" Will brought a hand over his head. "This is nothing compared to what I went through at the academy. My friends made sure of that." He gave a small laugh, trying to hide a small wince. It wasn't his head that made him wince though. Oh no.

Brenner nodded in approval, "You did well to survive, cadet."

"I didn't want to die. Really though, it's thanks to you that I'm still alive."

"Well, don't push yourself too hard. You've been through a lot."

"Yeah..." Will's eyes had managed to wander off towards the sky in a wistful gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything really. The sky is dark and I can barely see any light from the sun. Our homes, our old lives, they're all gone. The world..." Will lips turned down "The world really did end, huh?

"When the meteors struck," the lieutenant spoke up, "Huge clouds of dust and ash filled the sky and blocked out the sun. We haven't seen a single ray since."

He knew that of course. Hearing it, however, was like a knife being struck through the chest. No, in fact, the cadet felt like that knife was already there, but instead being painfully twisted around. "When Will the sky return to normal?" He didn't know why he asked, he could probably guess the answer right now.

"Years? Maybe even decades? Who can say?" she said with a straight face. Was she even bothered by the fact that the world ended?

"Decades?" Alarm shown clearly on his face. He could guess years, but decades? That was even worse than he expected! "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Don't make that face, Will. We'll be OK." That same voice of conviction spoke up and the two see eye to eye, "As long as there's life, there's hope."

At that moment, Will remembers. He remembers that moment the Captain saved him when all hope had been lost. He had given up on life the moment he was tied to that pole and beaten half to death. But he also remembers that feeling of relief the moment he was pulled away from those monsters.

He wasn't alone anymore.

He can make a difference, just like the captain that stood before him.

"As long as there's life..." He whispers to himself. A small tingle of some feeling grew from within himself.

"That's right. The world we knew is gone, but we can't give in to despair. Someday, things will be set to right. We'll all have peace, and the life we had will return. That's what I believe and that's why we must help everyone we can. That's why I cannot give up hope, now more than ever."

"Hope..." Yes, he remembers that feeling too.

"Yes," The Captain nodded, content with himself. "If you can do that, anything is possible. Got it?"

Will couldn't help but smile. This time however, this smile rose up to his ears. "Yes, sir!"

"That's the spirit!" Brenner smiled too, before turning over to his subordinate. "Now let's get to work. Lin, I want recon units canvassing the area. If those raiders show up again, I want to be notified immediately and-"

"Captain!" Will heard himself speaking without realizing it. "I want to help too!"

The captain shook his head, "I don't think so, cadet. It's too dangerous out there and you've just recovered too. You don't want to strain your body too much before you end up back in bed."

"Captain!" Aaliyah was fast approaching from a distance. "I firmly believe you should let Will help. I know he looks bad, but I've seen him take worse. Besides, I've seen the state of the battalion and capable hands are in short supply here."

"She's right, sir" The lieutenant spoke up again, a look of surprise clear on the captain's face. "There aren't much of us left. Those who can stand are still deployed despite their wounds. An extra set of hands will benefit the battalion."

"Hey, I can help too," Aaliyah rose her hand. "I've had medical training from the best teachers at the academy."

"Yeah!" Will spoke with a conviction he didn't know he had. "We're still cadets, but that doesn't matter! I can drive or search or wash dishes or whatever. I just want to help"

Brenner looked at both cadets, each being given a leveled stare. He knew he lost this battle when his very own lieutenant switched sides. His own lieutenant! He gave Lin a quick look before he himself gave a heavy sigh.

"...You've got spirit. I'll give you that." He slipped a hand down his face before reluctantly saying, "OK, you're both in. Cadets," Both stood at attention while they waited for their orders. "The battalion will be conducting search and rescue operations within this town and..."

The captain continued on with his briefing on various missions they will partake in. Will listened on with a sort of clarity he thought he didn't have. He knows what he must do now. He was determined.

World destruction or no, he had forgotten what it felt like to truly live.

But now, he remembers the feeling.

He remembers his duty to his fellow cadets, to his friends.

He remembers to always strive for victory, no matter the odds.

And so with practiced determination, he set out to make things right with the world. One life at a time, just like the captain did for him.

"Because as long as there is life, there is hope."

* * *

 **That's another chapter down! Whew!**

 **You could probably guess the problem I had with this chapter. Besides the daydreaming there is also the fact that I've created a character.**

 **My own character.**

 **Does that make me a parent now? Because I definitely feel like one, that's for damn sure. I had to convince myself that she was ready for the real world.**

 **Go now, Aaliyah! Be free from the shackles of my own mind and spread your wings!**

 **On the real though, I'm wondering how much cadets I should save from Will's class. There will most likely be one more cadet out there but how much would be too much? There aren't exactly that much characters in Days of Ruin, so I need to populate it a bit. More side characters, minor villains and such. Not too much, but not to little. Or should I just stick to the game as closely as I possibly can?**

 **There was also the fact that cheering up Will was a bit hard. It was rather simple in game, but not so realistic in my own eyes. I had to tweak things a bit, but even now, I'm only a tad-bit satisfied.**

 **I also had to rewrite the entirety of the first scene, where Will wakes up, a couple of times. I saved it on this file and it just stayed there, unchanging. I guess I can show you?**

* * *

Will woke up to the sounds of two people talking. Perhaps it was the paranoia still haunting him from the events from before, but Will had opted to keep his eyes closed. He was able to pick out a muffled conversation between a man and a woman.

"- was reckless, sir, even for you." The woman said.

"I know, Lin." That must be the man who save him. He could only faintly remember the sound of his voice. He doesn't remember "Besides, I knew you would have me completely covered."

"I wouldn't call 10 rounds to have you completely covered." Was that a tinge of anger or annoyance he could hear? "Engine problems too? I'll need to have a word with our mechanic."

"What can I say? Just another day in the office for us."

The woman could only sigh and he could imagine her shaking her head a bit.

At that point, Will had heard enough. With a small shuffle, he opened his eyes. He didn't know what to expect, but he sure didn't expect things to be so dark. A few moments later, his eyes started to focus. He was in a small dark room with windows. Whatever light that came through was dim, making it seem like your average evening. Luckily, there was a small lamp next to his bed. The man had taken notice to him first. "Easy there, son. You've been through a lot. How are you feeling?"

"Yeah, I-" he couldn't say anymore as his voice came up dry and hoarse. He hadn't even realize that the man was already handing him a canteen. After a few thankful gulps of water, he continued. "I'm alright now, thanks to you guys. My name is William, but you can call me Will. I'm a cadet at the academy."

The man gave a short nod. "Yes, I noticed the jacket. I'm Captain Brenner. I command the 12th Battalion, pride of the Rubinelle Army. And this is my second in command..."

With a salute, she said, "First Lieutenant Lin. Welcome to Brenner's Wolves."

After hearing that name, Will had brightened up immensely. "Hey, I studied you guys at the academy! You guys saved a bunch of lives all over the place. Fighting off against impossible odds, but always coming off on top! Err- Sir! Captain!" Will fumbled, remembering who he was talking to.

* * *

 **Yup, I had a couple more drafts that I threw out the window too. Maybe at the end of each chapter I could show you all a rough draft of things that won't make the cut.**

 **I'm trying to figure out a schedule for myself too. I thought I'd upload every two weeks on the Friday, but I already broke that. Every two weeks on someday...?**


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